Spitting in the street is a filthy habit. The sooner we get this by-law in place the better.

Doncaster's trying to change its image, and councillors hope the banwill help tackle problems with anti-social behaviour, which Mr Daviesstresses are no worse than any other part of the country.

If residents indicate they are in favour of the by-law during thesummer consultation, the proposal will be heard at a full councilmeeting and then passed on to the communities secretary forconsideration.

It's alright for llamas to spit - like this one at the Llama Karma Kafe in Cumbria. But you don't see many of them in Doncaster

The council would launch a dedicated webpage and use social media toexplain about the bylaw if it is put into place.

A UK ban on spitting – introduced after the first world war to preventthe spread of TB – was dropped in 1990 because low levels of thedisease could no longer justify its existence.

The Guardian's Northern Editor Martin Wainwright harks back to hischildhood days and Leeds' buses which used to have a 'Spitting isforbidden' sign on the top deck (but not the bottom). "We alwaysscraped out the 'p'," says naughty Wainwright. But he never spat.